Night at the museums

It's going to be a Long one this Thursday

Long Night returns to Liverpool, this Thursday, (Nov 18) – the arts and culture open evening that gets you out of the house with an outstanding array of things to see, do and join

Throughout the evening until late, (many venues are open until after midnight), there’s a huge choice of exhibitions, concerts, tours and talks taking place around Liverpool. But for those who don’t like to be mere spectators, The Long Night has lined up events where participation is key and many events are family friendly.

Highlights include:

- Storytelling at The Playhouse: Before it opens its doors to this year’s DA DA Festival, the Playhouse Theatre is running storytelling sessions for children up to 9 years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Places are free but booking is essential, please call 0151 709 4776.Playhouse Theatre, Williamson Square, L1 1EL 4.00 - 5.00pm

- Be Part of the Art: Turn up and be part of the Art at the Domino Gallery and be part of David Thomas Crawley’s “Photo Booth” project. Just bring along a passport photo of yourself and join in the experience.11 Upper Newington, L1 2SR 7.00 - 8.00pm approx.

- Draw the Line: Join up with artists for this unique opportunity to create artwork. Part doodling –part social networking, just turn up for a spot of art therapy.Art & Design Academy LJMU, 2 Duckinfield St, L3 5RD 4.00 - 10.00pm

- The Octo-Party: Put on your dancing shoes, meet up with friends and enjoy traditional foods, music and DJs and close up magic from the Liverpool Magic Circle. Octopi, 81 Renshaw Street, L1 8.00pm until late

- Long Night ‘Zine Live: LJMU and Uber present live workshops to piece together Long Night’s first ever ‘zine! Submit articles, photographs and more from events you’ve been to during the evening and see them published. Copies will be available at key venues around the city the following day.

- Print making at The Bluecoat: The Bluecoat will be hosting demonstrations by local printmakers and then offering you the chance to try your hand at creating your own art. Become part of an exhibition as all prints will be displayed at the end of the evening. No booking necessary. The Bluecoat, School Lane, L1 3BX 6.00 - 9.00pm

- Be Part of the Art: Turn up and be part of the Art at the Domino Gallery and be part of David Thomas Crawley’s “Photo Booth” project. Just bring along a passport photo of yourself and join in the experience.11 Upper Newington, L1 2SR 7.00 - 8.00pm approx.

It's a weird one, this: in what ways does this night differ from most of the other nights when there's so much good stuff on in this city? A cynic might think it's that a lot of middle class senior arts managers who commute in from the Wirral, North Wales or Gtr Manchester get to spend a chunk of our council tax trying to emulate what those of us who live here do all the time without throwing vast sums of cash at it ...

The Long Night is a great idea. Whereas for decades Liverpool´s city centre was abandoned to the shouting, troublemaking, urinating lagerboys after 6pm, the Long Night and The Biennial has brought whole families in great numbers into the centre. Also those of us who have jobs in the day can get to see inside our museums and galleries midweek for a nice change.

Like Homotopia and the Pride March it is a great civilising influence on a city that is officially obsessed with mindless argument regarding footy multi-millionaires and extinct pop groups.

Hear hear! I like a drink as much as, or even more than the next man but for too long the only diversion for members of the public visiting the city centre in the evenings was to get drunk, or more recently, to buy junk food. The Long Night of the Biennial gives the city an air of optimism and thrilling new possibilities, it´s all FREE to the public.

Evening opening of our galleries and museums is brilliant as most people are stuck in work during the normal opening hours.

A few years ago The Walker Art Gallery stayed open until 8pm one day a week and it was brilliant to be able to look around without the loudly-braying middle-class mothers and their shrieking children ruining it for everyone as they do at weekends.

On the contrary, it's this event that's parochial. I'm well aware of lots of great art, music, theatre, and the huge number of festivals we have, with lots of free stuff too. If you can strain your eyes enough to read the promotional blurb for this long night thing it seems to imply it's the only time anything ever happens in the city. Which is crap. I agree with Bold St Bod: these places ought to be open and contributing to our fantastic evening offering: what they are offering should be nothing special, as for many of our other enterprises and venues, it isn't: it's the normal course of business.